Author: Allie Friedman

Picture this scenario; you are a fly on a wall in a major company and you are watching the president read the cover letters of possible employees. The president sits at his desk, letter in hand, cup of coffee in the other, and begins reading as you look over his shoulder. You are no editor, but after the first three sentences you can’t help but notice at least two grammatical errors. The president immediately puts the letter in the garbage and picks up the next one. Knowing how to write is a crucial part of communication because with the written…

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I stopped by the Erie Basin Marina this week to follow up on their flower awards. Stanley Swisher was giving a little tour of the flowerbeds, so I tagged along and saw all the winning flowers. The Bracteantha Sunburst Yellows took the top spot with 45 votes. The Lobelia Magadi Blue and the Lobelia Ocean Blue took 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Stanley later told me that approximately 400 flags were planted during the judging process this year. I asked him how the public could obtain these brand new breeds for their own gardens next year, and he said, “The best…

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Recently, The Buffalo Religious Arts Center is in the midst of purchasing the Saint Francis Xavier Church Complex with plans to make it into a gallery dedicated to religious art. The gallery will be the first in the United States to be housed in a former church. The Buffalo Religious Arts Center (BRAC) has already begun to acquire art for the gallery, much of which will depict the diverse immigrant heritage of Buffalo. The vision BRAC has for the Saint Francis Xavier Church is to create a world-class religious arts center by preserving, interpretting and restoring sterling examples of the…

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Builder’s have been feeling the pain of a less than par economy in the Buffalo area for some time. However, the extent of their problems has not been crystal clear until a recent article in the National Bureau of Economic Research Paper. In comparing housing construction costs to the average sale prices of homes, it was surprising to learn that in Detroit, Fort Wayne, and Pittsburgh you can buy an existing house for 30 to 40% less than it costs to build it. Even more surprising is that Buffalo is fifth on the list with existing homes costing 30% less.…

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A local group, 50 Women with a Vision, has endeavored to change abandoned lots into community spaces. Currently, they are working on the Jefferson Avenue Community Cultural Artpark, which is located at Woodlawn and Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, New York. As an art venue, the Jefferson Avenue Community Cultural Artpark will represent elements of four world cultures in North and South America, Africa and Scandinavia. In order to build the park, money has been raised through donations and grants, with volunteers installing and decorating most of the items in the park. When the park is finished it will include a…

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The City Mission is holding “Feed The City” a benefit concert on Saturday, August 9, at 8 PM. The concert will take place at the Town Ballroom and will feature The Pillagers opening for Bruce Hornsby & The Noise Makers. Now, attendees will be listening to Bruce Hornsby instead. For those who may not have heard of Hornsby (not that we could imagine), he has won three Grammys, and his ten albums have sold over 11 million copies worldwide. Hornsby’s hits include: “Every Little Kiss” and “The Way It Is.” Originally Feed The City was supposed to mark The Pillagers…

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Just another reminder that the 2008 Buffalo Walk to Defeat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) will take place this Saturday, August 9, at 11 AM. Join fellow Buffalonians at the Parkside Lodge in Delaware Park to walk for this great cause. ALS is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease and every 90 minutes a person in this country is diagnosed with ALS and every 90 minutes another person will lose his or her life to the disease. If you would like to walk or donate to the Buffalo Walk to Defeat ALS you can click here. However, if you would…

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On Tuesday, August 5 at School Number 99 Makowski, which is located at 1095 Jefferson Avenue there will be an informative meeting held focusing on performance targets. As part of the Contract For Excellence (C4E), each district is required to set performance targets for each school receiving C4E funds. C4E funds are an increase in New York State aid, in order for districts to be eligible for this funding they must have at least one school determined to be in need of improvement under the No Child Left Behind legislation. Last year 16 Buffalo City Schools received C4E funding and…

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Come watch a great band and support a great cause all in the same night. The City Mission is holding “Feed The City” a benefit concert that will take place Saturday, August 9, at 8 PM. The concert will take place at the Town Ballroom and will feature Middleman, opening for The Pillagers first ever full concert. If you’ve never heard of the pillagers, don’t worry about being asked to buy a ticket to see them. Admission to the concert is yours for either a monetary donation or a non-perishable food item(s). Additionally, this is an all ages show and…

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Brodo, located at 765 Elmwood Avenue is pleased to be the host to two great events Autistic Services Inc. (ASI) will be holding in August. ASI is the only regional agency who primarily provides personalized services to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. “ASI’s mission is to provide opportunities for people on the autism spectrum to receive the service they need to become active community members and provide education to the community about their capabilities, while at the same time giving back to the community. ASI wants people to see how wonderful these individuals are,” Veronica Federiconi, Executive Director of ASI…

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